Pumpkin Pancakes

Eating seasonal food, fresh seasonal foods, is one of my favorite things about Fall. I have yet to find a squash I didn't like or a way to fix it.....ok, I'm not terribly fond of overcooked, watery squash. But then again, I'm not fond of anything overcooked. Winter squashes come in a variety of colors and color is good for you when it comes to food...and in my case, sanity. Gotta have color in my world.

Squash's cousin, pumpkin, is another fav. I saw on the news where the pumpkin crop is not going to be as good this year, consequently, less available and more pricey. They suggested you buy canned pumpkin while you can find it because it might get harder to find closer to the holidays. I did just that, bought two can of plain pumpkin puree for the pantry. I'll get more when I go next because my mind keeps thinking of new ways to use it. I wanted to make pumpkin pancakes this morning. SO... I did. I figured there was a recipe out there somewhere for it and sure enough, you can find several. I was on Everyday Foods website to get a turkey meatloaf recipe I saw made on the PBS show, so I just looked to see what Ole' Martha Stewart had to offer.

Pumpkin Pancakes

For a spiced breakfast treat, whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; and a pinch of ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup milk, 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8 to10

I tweaked it a bit....I used a 1/3 measure cup instead of the 1/4. I prefer larger pancakes than the 1/4 make. I thought 6 tablespoons was not going to be enough pumpkin but it was. A little more couldn't hurt, just add a bit more milk to get the consistency you prefer for your batter. These were high rising, fluffy pancakes tho the pumpkin makes them a little dense. My Honey had butter and molasses on his, I used Agave Nectar. It's better for diabetics. I must say, these pancakes were a treat! They will be a weekend favorite. But, it does leave you with a large can of pumpkin to use up. Music to my ears!

Next time I'll share the Turkey meatloaf recipe. I made that for dinner last night and it was awesome. Eat well, be happy.